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146: It Winds Me Up Something Chronic
John is on holiday, Alison said she’d have T-shirts ready, and Liz is back! An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: None Letters of comment Doug Faunt (Facebook) Corflu 2026: Corflu Pickled in Santa Rosa, CA, USA Ian Hillman (DM) Jonny Baddeley (Facebook) Eastercon 2026: Iridescence in Birmingham Hotels are open: Check your emails for the link Merch should be available by the time you read this Bursaries are open for applications, deadline of 31 October The volunteer form is open Haruhicon 2026: Birmingham Carrots, vitamin A, radar, and British propaganda BristolCon 2025 World Fantasy Con 2025: Brighton Armadacon 2025: Plymouth British Firework Championships Novacon 2025: Novacon 54 in Buxton Pictcon 2025: Pictcon1 in Perth Satellite 2026: Satellite 9 in Glasgow Worldcon finances Worldcon 2013: LoneStarCon 3 in San Antonio, TX, USA Worldcon 2015: Sasquan in Spokane, WA, USA Worldcon 2016: MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, MO, USA Worldcon 2020: CoNZealand in Wellington, New Zealand (but mostly online) Worldcon 2023: Chengdu, China Worldcon 2024: Glasgow, UK Smofcon 2025: Smofcon 42 in Stockholm, Sweden Picks John: Tactical Breach Wizards Alison: Here East Conrad Shawcross – Umbilical (The Nervous System) V&A East Storehouse Liz: The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson Credits Cover art: “Treasures of the V&A Storehouse” by Alison Scott Alt text: The Torrijos Ceiling at the Victoria & Albert East Storehouse. An elaborate, gilded and octagonal ceiling. Why yes, Alison has a new phone, how could you tell? Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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145: James Bacon and His Enthusiasms
John might, Alison won’t, and Tommy would (in a heartbeat). An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: Animal torture (aftershow) Letters of comment Brian Nisbet (Bluesky) Chris Garcia (email) Jonathan Baddeley (Facebook) Paul Weimer (Bluesky) Scott Edelman (Bluesky) Tommy Ferguson (email) We also heard from Caroline Mullan, DC, Farah Mendlesohn, Ivan Sinha, and Neil Ottenstein Octocon 2025 in Dublin Tommy’s fanzines: TommyWorld Götterdämmerung Götterdämmerung Redux Prolapse’s issue for Irish Fandom Day James Bacon’s article on the fan history starts on page 5! Corflu 2023 in Belfast: Corflu Craic Corflu Craic’s programme book Including the con report of the Leeds Corflu that Tommy mentions Marcin Kłak’s con report Eastercon 2025 in Belfast: Reconnect Eastercon 1986 in Glasgow: Albacon III Previous Belfast conventions: Nicon MeCon TitanCon Replay is not quiiiiite ready yet, sorry listeners, it’ll be there soon! Pictcon 1 in Perth (8 November 2025) Novacon 54 in Buxton (7–9 November 2025) Norncon 2026 in Belfast (8–9 May) GoHs: Anna Smith Spark and Adrian Tchaikovsky The Norn Scene from Wagner’s Götterdämmerung Eastercon 2027 in Glasgow: Unconfined Tommy is working on Communications Worldcon bid for 2029 in Dublin Picks John: Spirit Island App Store Steam Alison: Strong Message Here Tommy: Sleeper Beach by Nick Harkaway The sequel to Titanium Noir Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford Credits Cover art: “Norns Weaving the Rope of Fate” by Alison Scott Alt text: John, Alison and Tommy are weaving ropes of fate as norns. The ropes lead to little spools, above their heads, reminiscent of a sculpture called Umbilical by Conrad Shawcross which Alison will explain in more detail in Octothorpe 146. The words “Octothorpe 145” appear at the top, and “Looking forward to Norncon” at the bottom. Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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1:04:36
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1:04:36
144: I Have Opinions on Women
John, Alison and Liz watch Dredd (2012). An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: Justice. Things that happened since we recorded: Going Rogue released an episode about Dredd Taika Waititi is making a Judge Dredd movie Credits Cover art: “Judge Coxon Pain Scale” by Alison Scott Alt text: Six cartoons of John as a Judge from MegaCity One with the Clarke Award logo on his helmet, all of which are identical. Beneath them follows text. 0: NO HURT. 1: HURTS A LITTLE. 2: JUST A FLESH WOUND. 3: MINOR GUNSHOT. 4: BULLET THROUGH GUT. 5: FALL OFF SKYSCRAPER. The JUDGE COXON Pain Scale™. The words “Octothorpe 144” appear at the top of the cover. Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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47:53
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143: A Major Movie in the Sand Genre
John skips leg day, Alison skips art day, and Liz skips opinions. An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: None Letters of comment Alan Fleming & David Bamford (email) Eastercon 2027: Unconfined in Glasgow Christopher J Garcia (email) Doug Faunt (Facebook) Fredrik Coulter (Facebook) Jake Casella Brookins (email) Jesi Lipp (Facebook) Meg MacDonald (Facebook) Paul Weimer (Bluesky) Raj (Bluesky) Sari Polvinen (email) Shi Lala (Facebook) Next episode, we are going to watch Dredd! 2025 Worldcon: Seattle Seattle apologised after we recorded The Hugo Awards longlist is now out! Donald E Eastlake III at the MPC 2026 Worldcon: LAcon V in Los Angeles ‪Weyodi OldBear‬: first post, second post Apology from the chair 2027 Worldcon: Montréal Old bid site Jeph Jacques’s Questionable Content Picks John: FlickFleet Eurydice Games Alison: Slay the Spire again Liz: Luminous by Sylvia Park “More Real Than Him” Credits Cover art: “Inside Coverage” by Arthur Thomson Alt text: An abstract, geometric figure stands, their torso through a panel which has various trailing wires. There is a radio or walkie talkie on the floor and a textured background which is also geometric. The words “Octothorpe 143” appear at the top, “Walt Willis” appear at the right, and “Inside Coverage” appear at the bottom. Explanation: This is a previously unused piece of art by Atom (Arthur Thomson), originally intended for a Walt Willis column in Hyphen that never happened. Alison wants to use it as an Octothorpe cover to make Atom eligible for Best Fanzine Cover in the FAAn awards. Except, you know, not. Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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142: A Lot of Double-Sided Bra Tape
John is going to have lunch, Lori is going to brunch, and Liz is not hungry? An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to [email protected], join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: Mispronounced names (chapter 4), class structures (chapter 7) Worldcon 2025: Seattle Hugo Awards The ceremony Pronunciations Grigory Lukin Nisi Shawl on Bluesky: first, second K Tempest Bradford on X in 2020: first, second K Tempest Bradford on Bluesky The winners Billy on the Street “For a dollar, name a woman!” Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes Worldcon 2030: Edmonton bid Picks John: The Sentence by Gautam Bhatia The Wall and The Horizon Andrew Openshaw’s review Lori: The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson Liz: The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho Credits Cover art: “Ceremony Script Revealed” by Alison Scott Alt text: A picture of a book entitled “Hugo Award Pronunciation Guide” written by George R R Martin. The cover design is in the style of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, with an Iron Throne made of Hugo Awards. The words “Octothorpe 142” are at the top in a Game of Thrones-y typeface. Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)
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1:11:18
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1:11:18